Relationships between psychopathological symptoms, pandemic-related stress, perceived social support, and COVID-19 infection history: a network analysis in Chinese college students.

Introduction: Previous coronavirus, 2019 (COVID-19) research has applied network analysis to examine relationships between psychopathological symptoms but rarely extended to potential risk and protective factors or the influence of COVID-19 infection history. This study examined complex inter-relationships between psychopathological symptoms, COVID-19-related stressors, perceived social support, and COVID-19 infection history among Chinese university/college students during the peak of fifth pandemic wave using a network analysis approach. Methods: A Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator-regularized partial correlation network using Gaussian graphical model was constructed in 1,395 Chinese university/college students in Hong Kong who completed a survey between 15 March and 3 April, 2022. Depressive, anxiety, and acute/traumatic stress symptoms were measured by Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, and Impact of Event Scale-6, respectively. COVID-19-related stressors and perceived social support were measured. Network differences by COVID-19 infection history (COVID-network vs. no_COVID-network) and network communities were examined. Results: Our results showed that the most influential nodes were depressed mood, uncontrollable worries, and uncontrollable thoughts about COVID-19. The main bridging symptoms were concentration problems and psychomotor problems. The COVID-network, comprising participants with a history of COVID-19 infection only, was significantly stronger than the no_COVID-network. Perceived social support and stress from conflicts with family/friends formed a unique community with negative cognition and suicidal idea in the COVID-network only. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that specific interventions targeting interpersonal conflicts and concentration problems as well as facilitating stress buffering effects of social support may represent effective strategies to reduce psychological distress in university/college students during COVID-19 and should be considered for future pandemic preparedness.

The effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on clinical symptoms in schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to examine the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on clinical symptoms in schizophrenia. METHODS: A literature search was performed for articles published in English using the following databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, INSPEC, the Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature Plus (CINAHL Plus), AMED, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), ClinicalTrials.gov, EU Clinical Trials Register, and WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, from their inception to October 2019. The primary outcome variables were the clinical symptoms of schizophrenia including positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and auditory hallucinations. RESULTS: 16 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included in the meta-analysis, with a sample of 326 patients with active and with 310 sham tDCS. Active tDCS was found to be more effective in improving positive symptoms [standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.17; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.001 to 0.33], negative symptoms [SMD = 0.43, 95 % CI 0.11, 0.75] and auditory hallucinations [SMD = 0.36 95 % CI 0.02, 0.70]. Subgroup analyses showed better results in cases of pure diagnosis of schizophrenia, higher frequency and more sessions of stimulation. CONCLUSION: tDCS was effective in improving positive symptoms, negative symptoms and auditory hallucination in schizophrenia. It therefore has potential as a safe and well-tolerated adjunctive intervention for schizophrenia.

High-definition transcranial direct current stimulation-An open-label pilot intervention in alleviating depressive symptoms and cognitive deficits in late-life depression.

The efficacy of high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) in late-life depression (LLD) remains unknown due to limited research on its therapeutic effects on the hallmarks of LLD-the depressive and cognitive symptoms. The present open-label pilot study aimed to examine the effectiveness of HD-tDCS as an augmentation therapy with antidepressants in improving the depressive and cognitive symptoms for LLD. Significant improvements were hypothesized in the depressive, cognitive, and daily functioning outcomes over time. A total of 15 subjects with LLD (13 females, mean age = 73.27 ± 6.25) received five consecutive daily sessions of 20-minute active HD-tDCS interventions weekly for 2 weeks, with a 2 mA anodal stimulation over F3 and cathodal stimulation over FC1, AF3, F7, and FC5. Depressive symptoms and cognitive and daily functioning were assessed across five assessment timepoints. The results revealed that the HD-tDCS was effective in reducing the depressive severity and the remission rates, with a sustained effect at both the 1-month and 3-month follow-up. Pre-post improvements were seen in the overall cognitive functioning and in verbal fluency, but not in executive functioning. Our pilot study provides a preliminary result of HD-tDCS in LLD, which was a safe and effective treatment in alleviating depressive symptoms, with mild cognitive improvements observed. Further larger scale randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm this result.

A multidimensional risk factor model for suicide attempts in later life.

BACKGROUND: Elderly suicide is a public health problem worldwide, and the risk factors are multidimensional. Chronic mental health problems, personality traits, stressful life events, comorbid medical conditions, social isolation, unemployment, and poverty are associated with higher risk for suicide in later life. There was a relative paucity of data on the neurobiological markers of elderly suicide. OBJECTIVE: This study examines the conjoint roles of cerebrovascular risk factors (CVRFs) and other established biopsychosocial risk factors in older adults who had made a recent suicide attempt. DESIGN: A cross-sectional, case-controlled study. SETTING: A tertiary care setting in a public sector and a community setting. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Cases (N=77) were nondemented Chinese adults aged ≥65 years, enrolled in a regional psychogeriatric service following a suicide attempt; comparison subjects (N=99) were community-dwelling nondemented older adults with no lifetime history of suicide. Measures of sociodemographic profile, life events, suicidal behavior, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) Axis I psychopathology, personality traits, functional status, physical health, CVRFs, and executive cognitive functions were administered. RESULTS: WEIGHTED SUM OF CVRF SCORE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER IN OLDER WOMEN WHO HAD MADE A RECENT SUICIDE ATTEMPT (MEAN: 10.56; standard deviation [SD]: 5.46) than comparison subjects (mean: 7.24; SD: 4.04) (t=3.52, P=0.001; df=99). Logistic regression showed that CVRF score (Exp[B]: 1.289, P=0.033), DSM-IV depressive disorders (current) (Exp[B]: 348, P<0.001), number of life events in the past 12 weeks (Exp[B]: 10.4; P<0.001), and being married (Exp[B]: 12.2, P<0.048) significantly increased odds for suicide attempt status in older women (Nagelkerke R (2): 0.844). Association of CVRF score and suicide attempt status was not observed in older men for whom number of life events in the past 12 weeks (Exp[B]: 9.164; P<0.001), higher neuroticism (Exp[B]: 1.028; P=0.048), and impaired performance on a Modified Card Sorting Test (Exp[B]: 0.646; P=0.032) significantly increased odds for suicide attempt status in a logistic regression model (Nagelkerke R (2): 0.611). CONCLUSION: Risk factors for cerebrovascular diseases may be associated with higher risk for attempted suicide in older women, but not in older men. Older men and women have distinct risk factor profiles that may inform targeted intervention and prevention strategies.